Audience Participation

Tammy Harris

Last year I graduated from Macomb Community College with an Associate's Degree in General Studies, before transferring to Wayne State University to pursue my Bachelor's Degree in education and English literature. I'm here tonight in support of John Bonnell, who is a former professor of mine, and his teaching techniques. One of the perks of being a college student is the right to choose your instructor and in the event the student is finding difficulties in understanding the instructor, fitting it into the schedule, or personal opinions of the instructor, that's when the College drop policy comes into effect. I chose Mr. Bonnell as an instructor three times because I enjoyed his class and I understood his teaching techniques. Plain and simple, I learned something from the man. Never once did I hear a disparaging remark towards another student or another faculty or staff member. Never once did I feel uncomfortable or embarrassed by anything he said in class in context with the text in discussion. Any views or opinions discussed in class were always relevant to the text in discussion, the societal views of that time, or the views of the author. I urge the Board to carefully consider the views and opinions of the other students in his class because I know I'm not the only one here tonight. We all enjoyed his class and please listen, listen to us, listen to how much we've enjoyed him. Please, education is not preparation for life, education is life itself and that's what we're here for. Thank you.

Kristina Peltier

I would also like to speak in support of Professor Bonnell. I took his class, English 122, last semester. I never felt intimidated, never felt harassed at any moment. He taught me lessons in that class that apply to everyday life. He introduced me to amazing authors like James Joyce, well known. Every-thing he did teaching the class applied to the literature. He'd be a tremendous loss to this school. If he is fired for any reason, I will no longer support this college, I will be transferring early. I think you're basically inhibiting other students' education by even considering firing him. He'd be a tremendous loss. Thank you.
 
Kelly Cloutier

In the beginning of the class, we were reading a story called "The Town Dump". And the subject of Clinton had just hit the news for the very, very first time. Not the very, very first time, I would hate to think, but the current news where they said they were going to have a trial and it was going to Congress. It was brought up in class, and I had very strong views and I'm definitely not in the mainstream on what they should do with President Clinton. I voiced my opinion, another girl voiced her opinion, another girl called me "the church lady." Mr. Bonnell patiently listened to my views and, although he disagreed with my views, wrote probably the greatest compliment I have ever received in my entire life, because he respected that I stood firm in my views, and it's like a half a page. I did teach catechism and he's very human, he's very truthful and he's never disrespected anything or anyone in the classroom. I don't, it's hard to find the words of praise that you can give for this teacher because I haven't had a teacher as good as Mr. Bonnell since I was in high school in my senior year and his name was Mr. Rausch. I don't know if any of you are familiar with him. I went to Clintondale and it's been fifteen years. So he was my first English teacher my first semester back to college in fifteen years. And it would be a great loss. I chose to take him again this semester for 122. He worked me hard. I learned to use the Webster's Collegiate Dictionary often; "trope" was the first one. The first day of class he gave us the word trope. I called my sister who's in medical school at Wayne State University. She did not know the definition of the word. Trope is another word for metaphor. So I had to go buy a dictionary the first day of class because of Mr. Bonnell. He forced us to use our minds. It would be a great loss. In fact, I hope he's still teaching when my son makes it to college because I know he's going to do the first two years here. That's all I have to say.

Donna Liening

I'm scared to death, but the influence that John Bonnell had on my life and my career here at Macomb is so great that I would feel very lax if I didn't get up and say something. When I started Macomb I had heard the term "12 Mile High" and I had my eyes open for that. I had my first English class and I said maybe I'll give this place a chance. And then I took Mr. Bonnell's class and I said Wow, this guy can teach me something. And with the subject that's come up about his language it's made me try to understand what academic freedom in this country means.  His words are ideas and that's how he speaks to people, that's how he gets his message across. And that's what academic freedom is about. I think about my role as a tuition payer and a. taxpayer and with teachers like Mr. Bonnell I'm proud of this school. I mean, I'm actually proud to say I go to Macomb Community College, which I didn't really think I'd ever feel like that, honestly. And I've had wonderful instructors since, so, I mean, it's not just one. It would be an incredible injustice, not just an injustice, a travesty, if you dismiss him.
 

Debra Duffy

I am a fourth grade teacher in the Mt. Clemens school district. While I was at Macomb College I took three courses from Professor Bonnell. I would like to say that I agree with everything that all of the women who spoke before me have said, but I would also like to tell you that Mr. Bonnell taught me the most valuable lesson that I needed to learn as an educator and that was to respect every student who walks through my door and to give them my attention and everything that I have because they deserve it, not because they did something to earn it, because that's the way Mr. Bonnell treats all of his students. And when I hear students accuse Mr. Bonnell of outrageous things like sexual harassment, I don't understand it because of every professor I've ever met at this College, I would have to say that Mr. Bonnell is more in touch with the plight of women than even most of the female professors in this College and if any professor encouraged me to put aside stereotypical roles and to rise up to become the very best that I could be, that's what Mr. Bonnell has done for me. Thank you.

.Shevonna McKenzie

I did not prepare a speech. I did not prepare something for you to listen. That is exactly what Mr. Bonnell did. He came to class and he told us what story we were going to read. It sometimes took us two weeks to read a two page essay or it took us two hours to read a four page essay. His classroom environment was extremely comfortable. I never once felt threatened and I feel that these allegations are absolutely absurd and that throughout his whole teaching I was astounded by how intelligent he was, how kind and understanding he was, I wish he could teach my boyfriend some things. But, like they said, to deprive many other students of Mr. Bonnell's intelligence and understanding would be terrible. I know you sit up here and you hear all of us say how much we like Mr. Bonnell and how much we enjoyed his nurturing and stuff, but you've never taken his class; you don't understand. I never once got English. All through high school,
C, C, C, C. I got ridiculed by my parents. What's up, you can't do English? I'm sorry, I came to Macomb Community College and I have nothing but great things to say about your College, it's wonderful. And I took English to get it out of the way early.  I said great, a 9:00 class; I'm not going to make it. Sure enough, the first day he scared the living daylights out of me, the way he talked, I was just like okay, great. Then I got to my second class. He made me stay awake for a 9:00 class, which is something very few teachers can accomplish, and I was actually interested.  I got an A by October; sounds strange because his grading scale is weird but I had an A in October. But I didn't stop. I kept going. I think I had enough A's for three people in the class. I, uh, just [want to] tell you, that you probably had your minds made up before you even came here, that Mr. Bonnell would be a tremendous loss to your university. Keep this in mind, keep this in consideration, to a C student who got an A in an English class and now is on the Dean's list for this semester. Thank you.